The stuff you are describing is what bothers me the most. There is a lot of talk about how we should have a free market system. But there is no real market for patients. Most people can't pick an insurance plan for themselves because the employer picks. Then it's extremely hard to get an estimate for anything. And even if you get an estimate, it's most likely wrong. Then the billing is totally opaque. Insurance and providers constantly make mistakes or lose things.

I went through this with my ex after a surgery. It was totally insane to figure out where the numbers are coming from and basically a full time job.

Even if we don't want to go to single player or similar, I don't understand why it's not at least possible to mandate clear and binding estimates and billing a normal person can understand. And let the market work its magic through competition.